Mini Maxi Carpet Anemones are some of the smallest types of carpet anemones. While they can still grow to 4” - 6” in size when full grown, they are still much smaller than other varieties of carpet anemones that can reach 2 to 3 feet in diameter. They are easy to feed and do not move as much as some of the other types available in the hobby. While it is possible for them to host clownfish, the interaction is very uncommon. Please see below for more care tips for carpet anemones as well as checking out our Top 5 Tips for setting up a reef.

Location

Mini Maxi Anemones are found in the coral reefs of Vietnam.

Lighting

Mini Maxi anemones do not appear to be particularly picky on lighting. We have kept them under a variety of intensities with little noticeable difference in their appearance or behavior. Like all anemones, they can move to locations they find more desirable which may or may not fit your aesthetic plan for your reef aquarium. It is important to note however that these anemones fluoresce intensely under heavy actinic light. They look very different under daylight bulbs as do most corals and anemones, but Mini carpet anemones in particular benefit the most aesthetically from actinic light.

Low Light Low light translates to about 30-50 PAR

Medium LightMedium Light is between 50-150 PAR

High LightHigh Light is anything over 150 PAR

Lighting is a loaded topic, so for a more in-depth discussion of lighting, please see our Deep Dive article.

Water Flow

Moderate to strong water movement is recommended.

Feeding

There are a variety of frozen fish foods available that make outstanding meals for mini carpet anemones. We like to feed a mixture of meaty foods such as shrimp, fish, and squid with vitamin additives and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). The size of the food must be small enough that the polyp can fully ingest it. These anemones stay relatively small compared to other anemones in their Genus. They rarely grow larger than 5" in diameter.

Propagation

In terms of propagation, this genus has been successfully propagated. We have had a great deal of success cutting them. Please see the video if you want to attempt propagating this amazing anemone for yourself:

These carpet anemones also occasionally spawn. In the video below, a spawning event here at the greenhouse can be seen:

Acclimation

Proper acclimation is extremely important considering the stress imposed on the animals by the shipping process. Please take a moment to review our Acclimation Guide.

Photography

The images were taken with a Canon 5D mk II and 100mm macro lens under T5 Fluorescent lighting. Quite a lot goes into how we go about shooting the corals and anemones you see on Tidal Gardens. For an in-depth look at our methods, check out our comprehensive Reef Aquarium Photography FAQ.